Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-07-01
MR.. AND MRS. sowsER.
BY MRS. BowsER.


house from the front and back, accom-
panied by strange men, and from my
,pen window 1 heard them talking
about modern colors," meadow
green and other mysterious things.
It was not until found board in the
back yard with half dozen colors
Of fresh paint on it that suspect
ID anything. Then asked Mr.. Bows
or:
you can't be thinking of having
any painting done around here this
'pringp"
81 think the cornice ought to be
touched up little.
"But we had everything painted q
year ago, and you said it would stand
for ten years"
IF said so it will, but the style of
Of color is changed this year, and I'll
have man here for two or three
days.
s.And you'll have us all in muss
for the next month. Mr.. Bowser, can't
you let this house alone for day
or twop"
He gave me a look Of deepest re-
proach and turned away. l had begun
10 feel sorry for my expression when a
wagon load of poles drove in the alley.
1t had not vet been unloaded when
another wagon loaded with paint-be
daubed ladders drove up. Then came
dray on which were kegs and buckets
and cans and brushes, and | was COM
going to paint. The cook had also
seen tho outfit, and presently came in
10 mo and asked
"Are you going to have the painters
around herep"
Yes, Hannah, Mr.. Bowser proposes
TO touch up the cornice a little. T"
And he may touch up an intel
igence Office while he is about it, for |
won't stay! We've been papering-
cleaning, putting down carpets, sod.
ding the back yard, oiling the wood
work and doing something or other for
the last six months, and I'm tired out
IL is now thirty-one seconds to 5
o'clock. At sharp 5 1 leave the houser
She was as good as her word, and
when l told Mr.. Bowser Of her going,
and related the cause, he Indignantly
replied:
Now I'll paint the barn and fence
to boot--see if don'ti I'll show that
girl that she can't run this family while
our name continues TO be Bowser."
Next morning the painters went to
work. That is, they didn' / exactly go
TO work. They came and sat around
in the barn and smoked, and some of
EN- feebly stirred away at the paint
pots, and some more of 'em looked at
the house and inquired of each other
when Mr. Bewser got cut of the lunatic
asylum. Next day the force of paint,
ers was increased by three, and they
got two ladders up, pounded some
putty into three or four nail holes and
stirred up seven or eight colors of
paint Along towards supper time one
Of the crowd toiled up one of the lad
ders in weary, despondent way,
jabbed at one OF the brackets with a
brushful of paint, and the others stood
oil to examine the effect and give their
criticisms. 1t seemed to be a very
delicate operation. Some of them kept
walking backwards to get better
squint until they walked out of sight,
and Others had to sit down on the
grass and light their pipes and rest
their eyes by looking at the hired girl
next door.
On the third day Mr.. Bowser remain
ed at home, and the men dug holes all
around the house to set their poles, got
mp IA scaffold to work on and almost
finished painting one bracket. They
might have wholly finished it if they
had agreed on colors. Some of 'em
wanted the bracket lilac color. with
the background dull drab, and others
struck for something more lively or
more aesthetic. Mr.. Bowser said he
would consult the old masters, and
seven drops of rain decended from the
heavens just in time to let the. men oil
at o'clock. When they had gone |
found seven windows smeared with
paint, pane of glass broken and the
knobs of six doors touched up" in the
| latest Paris style.
The painters are with us yet. Not
those painters, but some others. The
first gang lasted two days. Then Mr..
Bowser suddenly asked the man who
seemed TO be the foreman-at least he
loafed away most of the time what
they were doing to earn their money.
This isn't Il job to be rushed 7"
calmly replied the man. IF we should
get one Of these seventeen delicate
colors in place of another your house
would be ruined"
Mr.. Bowser reduced the delicate
eolors to fourteen, and hired n new
gang. In the course of week this
new lot managed to plant forty-eight
/ big daubs on the peueiled brick work.
break three windows, daub over three
oiled doors and ruin half our clothes.
and Mr. Bowser advised them to turn
to landscape work. The third gang is
still with us. All the scaflolding has
finally been put in place, and the lad
ders leaned up against the house, and
all the neighborhood covered with
paint-pots and brushes. When the
brackets had been finished Mr.. Bowser
concluded that the window castings
ought to be touched up to correspond.
Then 1t was the hoods and porches and
steps. Next week il will be the fences
and the barn. Seven different ladies
have walked up the freshly-painted
front steps TO call ON me, but walked
down again without ringing the bell
| Twenty odd tramps have walked the
length OF the freshly-paint verands
to ask for bite to eat, but went of
hungry and tired. Three of my dresses